Wednesday, April 24, 2019 - 12:00pm to 3:30pm

2019 marks the first time in over 20 years that previously published copyrighted works have been added to the public domain in the United States. This list of notable works – all from 1923 – includes: dramatic films such as Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments; comedies featuring Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd; literary works by Robert Frost, Aldous Huxley, and Edith Wharton; and famous music by Noel Coward, Jelly Roll Morton, and more! This great thawing of works frozen in copyright is an important milestone for content creators and scholars, allowing the freedom to use and re-use works from the past, and to create new knowledge from them.

This year’s fifth copyright symposium will look at the long-term benefits of a robust public domain, and provide suggestions and strategies on how to take advantage of this as creators, scholars, and educators. We will also examine the other side of the copyright equation by looking at how copyright law also provides users of content flexibility in terms of using copyrighted works through the doctrine of Fair Use.

Our two speakers, Marty Brennan and Kyra Folk-Farber, both librarians in the University of California system, will share their deep knowledge and expertise in the areas of copyright for faculty and scholars. An open-panel discussion will follow the presentations, allowing for more in-depth Q&A. Space for this event will be limited to 35, with lunch and refreshments included.

Schedule of Events

12:00 to 1:00: Lunch & registration/sign in

1:00 to 1:10: Introduction by Library Dean Mark Stover

1:10 to 2:00:Marty Brennan, Copyright Librarian, UCLA on Public Domain in 2019